Devil May Cry 4



Devil May Cry 4 is the second sequel (Devil May Cry 3 being the prequel) to the Capcom action game Devil May Cry. It was announced in March 2007 that the game would be released simultaneously for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and later, the PC. It was being developed by Capcom Production Studio 4, the producers of Resident Evil 4 and the original Devil May Cry.

In the game, the player controls both Nero, a new character, and Dante while they fight demons using firearms and melee weapons hack'n slash shoot 'em up setting. Other characters include new appearances Kyrie, Sanctus, Credo, Gloria, and Agnus, and returning characters Lady and Trish.

Gameplay
The gameplay for Devil May Cry 4 follows closely to its predecessors, especially Devil May Cry 3, as a hack and slash adventure. Players navigate their way through massive levels while slaying demons in mostly a third person perspective. Emphasis is placed on the methods used to deal with enemies, in the form of a Stylish Rank Gauge. Players can rack up Style points by defeating enemies with both melee and projectile weapons. Using variety in your attacks further increases the gauge, while using the same move repeatedly will lower and stop the letter ranking until another style is used. Style comments appear during combat such as D/Deadly! ( the lowest) and S/Smokin! (the highest). Experienced players can take up the S rank to new levels and achieve an SSS/Smokin' Sick Style rank. Players can also dodge, roll, and taunt to increase the gauge ranking.

The game's duration is divided by two separate characters with their own storyline. The player starts off with the new character and main protagonist, Nero, wielding a motorcycle-styled sword called Red Queen, and a double-barreled revolver called Blue Rose. His unique ability is the Devil Bringer, which allows him to grapple and inflict extra damage on enemies, including bosses. For much of the game, Nero uses his Devil Trigger and the Yamato. Unlike Devil Triggers of most games, Nero's DT goes beyond simple health regeneration and strength increase; his attacks are augmented by a spectral demon wielding Yamato, imitating Nero's attacks for dual attack capability. Yamato can only be used in conjunction with certain moves during Devil Trigger. Nero's Red Queen has a special rev effect in the form of Exceed, which increases the power of Nero's slashes. The power can be increased by revving up the Red Queen and can be upgraded to three slashes at once. It can also be upgraded to instantly rev up the blade during combos with precise timing. Nero does not gain new weapons, but new powers for his Devil Bringer to enhance its use.

More than half way through the game, the player takes control of Dante. The gameplay for Dante is identical to his Devil May Cry 3 counterpart, as Dante has access to his four starting styles: Swordmaster (Devil Arm/close range oriented style), Gunslinger (Firearm/long range oriented style), Trickster (Evasive oriented style), and Royalguard (Defense oriented style). Unlike the third game, each one can be switched to at will with the press of a corresponding D-Pad button. Near the end of the game, Dante gains the Dark Slayer style, which grants him direct use of the Yamato. Dante is more agile and stronger than Nero, starts out with a Devil Trigger and can gain new weapons along the way. Dante's Devil Trigger goes beyond strength increase and health generation, powering up his weapons for far more intense versions of certain attacks such as a piercing and drilling Stinger.

Another new addition to the game is the Proud Souls, which can be earned through achieving Style points during missions and are used to exchange for new abilities and attacks, as well as to upgrade styles (Dante only). However, Proud Souls can be obtained regardless of whether or not you complete the mission. Exiting the mission will grant you the Proud Souls according to your current Style Points so one can harvest them easily for faster leveling up. Proud Souls can also be regained by 'selling' abilities that have already been bought, giving the player much more freedom for what they choose to add or not to add to their arsenal.

Plot
The game opens with Nero hurrying towards the Opera House where the Order of the Sword is conducting a ceremony, with his right arm in a sling. Meanwhile Kyrie, Nero’s romantic interest, is beginning to open the ceremony with a song and is disappointed not to find Nero in the audience. She begins her song nonetheless as Nero encounters several Scarecrow demons on his way to the Opera House. He dispatches them and arrives at the Opera House just in time to hear the end of Kyrie’s song. Following this, Kyrie joins Nero in the audience where she finds that Nero has left a present for her, a golden necklace. The High Priest of the Order of the Sword, Sanctus, beckons the Order members to join him in prayer; Nero is visibly bored by this and is about to leave despite Kyrie’s protests, when his right arm begins to glow ominously. At this moment, Dante bursts through the ceiling and assassinates Sanctus.

Nero, under the impression that Kyrie is in danger, attacks Dante to initiate a fight. As Dante gains the upper hand, Nero's right arm, the Devil Bringer, awakens and uses its power to seemingly kill Dante by impaling him with his own sword upon the statue of Sparda. Dante responds by saying that Nero is "getting better", and then pushes himself off the statue. As Dante removes the sword from his chest, Nero asks, "You're not human, are you?" Dante replies that "We're the same, you and I ... and them," pointing to one of the dead knights. Nero looks and it is revealed that the knight was possessed with a demonic appearance. Nero looks up to see that Dante is already resting on the hole in the ceiling from which he came. Dante states that he suspects Nero "carries something different from the others", and then swoops out of view just as the knight reinforcements arrive.

Nero is charged with capturing Dante and bringing him back to the Order to answer for his crimes by Credo, the leader of the Order's knights and Kyrie’s brother. Upon leaving the Opera House, however, a demonic horde begins to lay waste to the city. Nero and Kyrie are separated as Nero begins to slay the demons. Whilst journeying to Fortuna Castle he meets Gloria, a new member to the Order. Nero fights his way into the depths of Fortuna Castle. On the way, it is revealed that Sanctus has been infused with the soul of a demon to be revived. Agnus, the stuttering scientist and mastermind of the Order's demonic power manipulation, is also introduced.

Nero finally reaches Agnus's facility where he is ambushed by several white knights and is injured. Vergil's broken katana, Yamato, responds to Nero and mends itself before flying into his hand. Nero fends off Agnus' attacks with the aid of a spectral blue demon hovering behind him; after the battle, Nero collapses in exhaustion. Agnus flees back to Sanctus and informs him of Nero’s new-found power. Credo vows to take care of Nero while Gloria takes over Nero’s pursuit of Dante.

Nero is confronted by Credo, who has also been infused with demonic power, giving him the characteristics of an Angel. He is defeated by Nero, however, Kyrie arrives in time to witness Nero with his demonic arm standing over her defeated brother. Agnus uses the confusion and distraction on Nero’s part to kidnap Kyrie and flee. Credo postpones his feud with Nero until he can investigate the situation. Nero once more meets Dante, but his quest to capture him is long since forgotten; he wishes to simply pass Dante. However, Dante wants Yamato, the sword used by his twin-brother Vergil, returned to him. A fight ensues where Dante is victorious; however, he decides to let Nero keep Yamato after the latter has “cooled down”. Gloria appears before Dante as Nero leaves; however, it is revealed that Gloria is in fact Trish, Dante’s partner in his demon hunting business “Devil May Cry”.

Nero reaches Sanctus and the “Savior”, an enormous demon which the Order intends to bring to life using Nero and Yamato’s power. Using Kyrie as a human shield, Sanctus is successful in detaining Nero. Sanctus reveals that the Savior requires the essence of Sparda to reach full power; he originally intended Dante to be used as the core, but accepts Nero as a suitable substitute, claiming that Nero is also a descendant of Sparda. Credo attempts to rescue the two, but is mortally wounded by Sanctus. Dante arrives and tells Nero to give him his sword back. Nero tells Dante to "come and get it". Nero is then absorbed into the Savior. Agnus uses Yamato to open the true Hellgate, releasing a multitude of demons onto the city. Sanctus arrives with the Savior and begins to exterminate the demons. Dante, upon hearing Credo’s dying request to rescue Kyrie and Nero, fights his way back towards the city. On his way, he destroys the three smaller Hellgates used to release the demons.

Dante arrives back at the Opera House and kills Agnus. He then retrieves Yamato and uses it to destroy the true Hellgate before confronting Sanctus and the Savior. After discovering that the Savior is invincible from the outside, Dante drives Yamato into the chest of the Savior, where it is retrieved by Nero. Nero defeats Sanctus inside the Savior and rescues Kyrie. Nero eventually uses his Devil Bringer to destroy the Savior and Sanctus. After entrusting Nero with Yamato, Dante departs. Nero and Kyrie's reunion is interrupted by another demon attack. In the secret ending, at the Devil May Cry shop, Trish and Lady bicker over the small reward Lady had offered, with Lady accusing Trish for having disguised herself as Gloria and delivering Sparda's sword to the Order. After Trish forcibly drags him into their argument, Dante ends it by saying that it's "better than nothing." What's interesting is that the magazine Dante is shown reading is entitled "Two Handguns" and that two pages are entitled "Devil May Cry 4" and "Ebony and Ivory". Afterwords, Lady sets out to leave, but then the phone rings, with a customer having another job for Dante to do, and the trio moves out to help.

Difficulty Modes
With each rise in difficulty, Enemies and Bosses generally get tougher and the player gets weaker. There are 6 modes for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game with an additional mode for the PC version.

Human
One of the default difficulty modes of the game. Enemies have less health, deal less damage and are quite docile. Bosses take more damage. The player deals more damage and takes less. Clearing all the missions on this difficulty unlocks the special artwork "The Two Heroes," and 29 character images for viewing in the Gallery.
 * Lesser demons and bosses health: 90%
 * Lesser demons and bosses damage: 90%

Devil Hunter
One of the default difficulty modes of the game. This is essentially the Normal difficulty. Clearing all the missions on this difficulty unlocks the Bloody Palace, Son of Sparda difficulty, and the special artwork "The Cast".
 * Lesser demons and bosses health: 100%
 * Lesser demons and bosses damage: 100%

Son Of Sparda
This difficulty mode is the equivalent of Hard. It is unlocked by beating the game on Devil Hunter. Enemies have more health, are more hostile, deal more damage and tougher enemies appear early on. The player deals less damage and takes more. Some of Nero's levels have more complicated paths. Clearing all the missions on this difficulty unlocks Dante Must Die mode, Heaven or Hell mode, and the special artwork "The Demons" and 12 additional pieces for viewing in the Gallery.
 * Lesser demons and bosses health: 175%
 * Lesser demons and bosses damage: 175%

Dante Must Die
This difficulty is unlocked by beating Son Of Sparda mode. Enemies get tougher and Bosses utilize more attacks. Enemies also now have Devil Trigger and frequently use it. Clearing all missions on this difficulty unlocks Hell and Hell mode, the special artwork "Demon Invasion", and the Super costumes for Dante and Nero.
 * Lesser demons and bosses health: 225%
 * Lesser demons and bosses damage: 225%

Heaven Or Hell
Unlocked by beating Son Of Sparda mode. Enemies and Bosses all die in one attack. The player also dies in one attack. However, the player is given 3~4 lives to use whenever he dies. Clearing all missions on this difficulty unlocks the special artwork "The Ladies of Devil May Cry."

Hell And Hell
Unlocked by beating Dante Must Die. The player dies in one attack, but is given 3 gold orbs to utilize whenever he dies. Enemies and Bosses in this mode do not die in one attack, and adopt their difficulty from the Dante Must Die mode. Clearing all missions on this difficulty unlocks the special artwork "Light from the Demon Blade".

Legendary Dark Knight
This difficulty is only available in the PC version of the game. It is unlocked by beating the game on Human or Devil Hunter mode. It is similar to Son Of Sparda mode, but with more enemies spawning than before. In this mode, it is capable of spawning about 20~30 Scarecrows in a single room, making this mode a little bit harder than Son Of Sparda.

Automatic Mode
Although not listed as a Difficulty Mode in the Mission Menu, it is equivalent to the Easy-Automatic Mode. This mode can be activated depending on the player's choice on the New Game section. This mode allows easy completion of the game and turns it into a button-mashing fest.

iPhone version
In February 2011, Capcom has released a simplified version of the game, named Devil May Cry 4 Refrain to fit on the iPhone. However, compared to its console counterparts, it lacks the superiority of graphics and uses simplified controls.